Students explore U.S. through books; library plans special programs
BY TRACY HOUSE

Students at Payne Junior High School
are traveling the country, via books.
In an effort to encourage students
to read, PJHS media specialist Stephanie
Merrill sent kids on a cross-country journey
through books set in different states as
part of the nationally recognized program
Read Across American that coincides with
Dr. Seuss’ birthday.
“Because it’s always called Read Across
America we thought that if we could select
books that took place in speciﬁc states that
they (students) would read things that they
would normally not,” explains Merrill. “We
started doing this early in December so
that they would read more books and the
requirement would be higher, plus they had
all of Christmas vacation to read.”
Merrill says that 50 students signed
up for the “Passport” and she anticipates
30 students will complete the six-book
requirement to earn the incentive reward.
“This year we’re providing a lunch and
they’re going to play U.S.A. Bingo and I have
bingo prizes and rafﬂe prizes,” Merrill says.
In addition, students will get a READ
bookmark and tattoo. As students
complete a book, they are asked to
summarize or answer a question about
the book to receive their passport
stamp. Books were chosen for the setting
and Merrill says she looked for quality
literature. Students could choose to read
books not on the state list and still receive
a passport stamp. “No matter what they
read we found a category for it,” Merrill
says.

Francis Stokes, Ryan Blech, Garrett
Kowalski and Zion Barney are some of the
seventh grade students participating in the
program. Encouragement to read six books
came from their language arts teacher who
said that if they read all six books they
didn’t have to do a book report.
Francis, 12, says she’s read all six books.
“I went to Arizona, Florida, Oklahoma,” she
says. It took her two months to read all six
books. She says it was a challenge to read
the books.
Ryan, 12, traveled to Alaska, New York,
New Hampshire and Illinois during his
reading journey. “I read ﬁction books,” he
says. “They were kind of adventure books.”
Ryan says he learned about how some
people can be so courageous by reading
the books. It took him one and a half
months to complete all six books.
Garrett, 13, chose to participate in the
program because of his teacher’s incentive
and to try to read new books. He’s read
four of the six books, but plans to have
them all complete by the March 3 due
date. He mentions he “traveled” to Arizona,
Oregon and Florida.
Zion, 12, says she doesn’t read unless
she has to, but she’s read three books and
is reading two at the same time. “I’ve been
to Oregon, one of them was in California
and Nevada.” Like the others, she says she
chose to read the books instead of having
to do the project. “I read the ﬁrst three
from Read Across America and the other
three I picked out.”
Merrill is hoping that next year, these
then eighth graders will be a role model

for the incoming seventh graders and the
program will encourage more students to
read across America.

Read Across America
Celebrate all things Seuss and enjoy a
story and crafting at the Sunset Library,
4930 W. Ray Rd., Chandler.
On March 4, the regular family
storytimes will be celebrating Dr. Seuss. It
is an interactive program for toddlers and
pre-schoolers. There are games and songs
that parents can use with their children
later on at home, as well as stories read by
the staff. Join Ms. Tish for stories, ﬂannel
board stories, ﬁngerplays, songs and dance
plus bubbles to honor Dr. Seuss from 10:15
a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
Then at 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. March 19
the Family Funcrafting session will focus
on Dr. Seuss as well. Again, there will be
songs and stories, as well as a crafts for the
family. There is no registration for either of
these programs.

In-N-Out Reading Program at the
Chandler Public Library
Chandler Public Library is excited to
partner with In-N-Out Burger again to
provide this fun reading incentive program,
March 1 through April 12.
Children ages 4 to 12 who read ﬁve
books at his or her reading level may
earn a “Cover to Cover Club” reading
certiﬁcate, along with a coupon for a free
hamburger or cheeseburger from In-N-Out.
Families can pick up a reading log from

COVER TO COVER: Encourage reading and
enjoy a burger from In-N-Out during the
Chandler Library’s reading incentive program.
Information is available at all Chandler
libraries.

any Chandler Public Library to enroll their
children in the program. The log is used
to list the titles of the book. After the ﬁve
books are read, a parent or guardian signs
the reading log and the child receives their
certiﬁcate.
Children too young to read may
participate if an adult reads with them.
Also, each child may earn up to three
certiﬁcates during the program, while
supplies last.
For more information, call (480) 7822800, visit the library’s website at www.
chandlerlibrary.org, or drop by one of the
four library locations: Basha Library, 5990
S. Val Vista Dr.; Hamilton Library, 3700 S.
Arizona Ave.; Sunset Library, 4930 W. Ray
Rd.; or Downtown Library, 22 S. Delaware
St.
Tracy House is the news editor for the
SanTan Sun News. She can be reached at
tracy@santansun.com.

28

Youth

March 1 – 14, 2014

CHANDLER’S
BEST AND
BRIGHTEST

Once a month, we will proﬁle standout students from SanTan Sun-area high schools.
Whether they’re involved in academics, athletics or extracurricular activities, we want
to hear their stories. To submit students for consideration, email the editor, Christina
Fuoco-Karasinski at christina@santansun.com.
BY SETH COX

Perry Pumas
Perry High School
1919 E Queen Creek Rd., Gilbert, 85297

At such a young school, it’s
sometimes hard to make a name for
yourself as an athlete. However, Mitch
Albrecht has done just that at Perry High.
“He’s an awesome kid,” was how
Coach John Roberts introduces Mitch,
the Pumas’ senior sweeper.
On the soccer ﬁeld, Mitch is the key
to an at times stiﬂing Pumas defense,
and more importantly a senior leader.
“Coach put me back there as the
overseer of the defense, getting guys
lined up and helping lead the defense,”
Mitch says, “He expected me to help
direct players where to go, but also to
be the last line of defense.”
Roberts adds, “He’s one of three
seniors. He’s our best player. He’s our
whole defense, but the biggest thing
about him is he’s a leader. He gets the
guys to do things they didn’t think they
could do.”
That leadership was a continual
theme of Mitch’s character, but he says
he’s just being himself.
“I’m a hard worker and just take pride
in everything I do. I knew if I showed the
guys how hard I was working it would
push them to work just as hard.”
Off the ﬁeld Mitch carries a 3.6

GPA, and is, as Roberts puts it, “the guy
that gets everyone together for extra
practice and team meals.”
Mitch says he just takes the same
approach off the ﬁeld as he does on: He
just works hard.
When it comes to after high school,
Mitch has already come to terms with
the next stage of his life.
“I won’t be playing soccer, maybe
intramurals or something like that, but I
just want to get ready for the next part
of my life.”
What’s the next part of his life? “I am
either going to attend Northern Arizona
University or Colorado State University
and study business economics,” says
Mitch.
He has teamwork and camaraderie
oozing out of him from his time as the
varsity kicker on the football team, and
now he’s helped produce the best year in
the boys’ soccer team history.
His next step will be a success, as
Roberts reiterates “He’s a great kid!”
Seth Cox is a freelancer for the
SanTan Sun News. He can be reached at
news@santansun.com.

www.SanTanSun.com

Chandler
AYF sets
registration
day for
football, cheer
The first Fall Tackle Football and
Cheerleading registration will be
held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday,
March 15, at Tumbleweed Recreation
Center, 745 E. Germann Rd.
The teams, which fill up fast,
range between 25-30 participants.
Fall practice begins July 28 and the
annual Chandler AYF combines and
team selection camps will take place
in late June. Onsite registration
is in April, May and June. Online
registration is available at www.
chandlerayf.com.
There are several programs
offered: tackle football (ages 5-14),
sideline cheerleading (ages 5-14) and
competitive cheerleading (ages 8-15).
Chandler AYF Youth Football and
Cheer competes in the Phoenix AYF
Conference.
For more information, visit www.
chandlerayf.com, email chandlerayf@
gmail.com or call (480) 370-0621.

Youth

www.SanTanSun.com

March 1 – 14, 2014

29

Interactive book shares story about a tuxedo cat
BY MEGHAN MCCOY

Youngsters have the opportunity
to learn about a tuxedo cat through an
interactive book of song and illustrations
created by a Sun Lakes resident.
Patricia Koepp, a retired elementary
art teacher of 29 years, has released “Mr.
Mittens’ Magical Mittens: Listen, Read
and Sing Along,” through Tate Publishing.
The author, illustrator, editor and layout
designer will have a big launch for her
interactive book in June.
“I have located a little plush cat that
looks like Mr. Mittens in the book,” she
explains. “They are being delivered to me
in June.”
A longtime animal lover, Koepp is a
volunteer for the Arizona Welfare League
and Humane Society.
“All my cats that I have adopted have
been rescued cats,” Koepp says.
She adopted her ﬁrst cat, which lived
to be 18, while she was in college. Another
cat became a part of her family for 16
years before it, too, died.
Now she has a 22-pound solid black
male and a 16-pound female tuxedo cat
who are brother and sister. These siblings
helped inspire her book.
“Mr. Mittens is a combination of the
two,” Koepp explains. The character takes
the personality of her male cat and the
body type of the female.
The song that tells the tale of Mr.
Mittens came to Koepp as she was
brushing her cats on their pedestal in the
kitchen.

“I sing to the cats as I was brushing
them,” she explains.
She jotted down the lyrics as the words
ﬂowed. That encouraged her to go to
the store and buy a miniature keyboard.
Although she cannot read music, Koepp
researched which keys correlated to what
letters on the scale.
“I hammered out the song on the
keyboard,” she says.
The book, which is geared toward
youngsters ages 4 and older, includes 18
pages of illustrations and songs, a coloring
section and sheet music.
“Each page is a verse of the song and
the next page is an illustration of that
verse,” she explains.
The ﬁrst verse describes Mr. Mittens. It
is followed by a black and white versions
of the illustrations so kids can color them.
The ﬁnal section includes sheet music
and a CD of the music. Koepp says the
music was orchestrated by a friend of hers
using two female voices—a woman who
majored in voice and piano in college and
a young girl, a friend’s relative.
“The song itself is a chorus singing
about the cat. The cat responds to the
chorus in the next verse,” she explains.
Adults can either read the book with
the youngster or sing along with the CD.
“I’ve had really good feedback from
people in town here,” Koepp says.

Second book
After another song struck Koepp, her
second book “Mr. Mittens’ Dreams Come

True” was born. She says the book will be
available this summer.
Her second book, which again is told
through song, shares the story of Mr.
Mittens being adopted into a family
from an animal sanctuary. While at the
sanctuary he meets another animal that
he sings with, which is later revealed to be
dog. The duo, who end up being adopted
by the same family, share the story of how
everyone dreams.

Her artistic journey
A self-described hyperactive child in
school, Koepp discovered that drawing
cartoons and doodling kept her in her seat.
“My idol when I was growing up was
Walt Disney,” she explains. “It was always
a dream of mine to be an illustrator and
cartoonist.”
When she attended college, she went
after a double major, English and art
education. Upon graduation, she stumbled
upon a job, an art position in Phoenix.
“I decided I would rather teach art
than English,” Koepp says. “I loved my
profession. It was a lot of fun.”
She says with an overactive
imagination, she is able to express herself
through her artwork and share it with
other people.
“I have always envied musicians who
can play a guitar and take their craft
wherever they go and share that with the
people they are with,” Koepp says.
With a published book, she can share
her craft with friends and people she has

never met.
“All through my life I had been writing
stories and drawing,” she says.
The book, CD and plush kitten
can be purchased by emailing
danceswithbunnies@q.com, calling (480)
883-0662 or visiting www.tatepublishing.
com.
Individuals can also purchase other Mr.
Kitten’s merchandise at www.cafepress.
com/mrmittenskittenkaboodle.
Meghan McCoy is the Neighbors and
Business section editor for the SanTan Sun
News. She can be reached at meghan@
santansun.com.

BONUS: Child Meals included for FREE!
Book Spotlight Celebrations Adventure Birthday party by March 15th to receive $199 price.

Visit www.Connect5FC.com/Chandler for our Calendar of Upcoming Events

222 E. Warner Road • Chandler • 480-699-2122

30

Youth

March 1 – 14, 2014

www.SanTanSun.com

New Vistas teacher named NHD Seton Prep launches
Behring Ambassador
website redesign
Designee will represent Arizona in
Washington, D.C.
New Vistas Center for Education
teacher Stacey Trepanier was one of
36 U.S. teachers selected as Behring
Teacher Ambassadors.
“I am honored to be selected and
join the ranks of passionate history
loving teachers to work with and
help promote and grow NHD,” says
Trepanier, referring to National History
Day.
“NHD has brought a new spark into
my classroom and taken my students
and I on journeys we never imagined.
I love to share my passion and am
excited to help make a difference in
the world of education by serving
as a teacher ambassador. This means
a chance to reach out and make a
difference, inspire, and connect several
passions of mine!”
The teachers selected have shown
outstanding creativity, commitment,
and inspiration in developing students’
interest in history. Each regional
winner will be awarded $1,000 stipend
for their participation and service
as an ambassador. Middle and high
school teachers are nominated by their
administrators, peers or self for the
award. Candidates must be classroom
teachers interested in NHD programs,
who have demonstrated excellence
in the classroom, or be past Behring

Teacher award winners.
Next year the 2014-2015 NHD
theme is Leadership and Legacy in
History. Behring Teacher Ambassadors
will work with students and teachers
to help them better understand this
theme and to expand NHD programs
in their region. Participating teachers,
will attend a training workshop
in August, collaborate with their
program’s NHD affiliates coordinator
to develop a working plan, and
implement an action plan to support
and expand NHD activities.
“National History Day firmly
believes that quality teachers are
the best educational tools that
students have,” says NHD Executive
Director Cathy Gorn. “The history
teachers selected as Behring Teacher
Ambassadors understand the impact
the NHD program has on their
students. They are a credit to their
discipline and a driving force behind
the success of NHD programs.”
For more information about NHD,
visit www.nhd.org.

Seton Catholic Prep recently
launched its newly redesigned website
at www.setoncatholic.org, featuring a
new, contemporary design, improved
functionality and mobile friendly access.
Visitors to the site can learn about Seton
Catholic Prep’s unique offering as the only
Catholic high school in the East Valley.
Seton Catholic Prep is a private,
coeducational high school in Chandler
offering a college preparatory curriculum,
wide-ranging ﬁne arts program, numerous
extracurricular activities and more.
“Our new website signals an exciting

time in the history of Seton Catholic
Preparatory,” says Seton Principal Patricia
Collins. “As we approach our 60th year
serving students of all socioeconomic,
ethnic and faith backgrounds, we are
committed to sharing the core qualities that
distinguish our Catholic faith-based school
with a new generation of students and their
families.”
Seton Catholic Prep is at 1150 N. Dobson
Rd., Chandler. To learn more, visit the new
website at www.setoncatholic.org or call
(480) 963-1900.

RUNNING WITH ROSCO
GOOD FUN: Children at St. John Bosco
Catholic School spend 20 minutes running,
jogging, walking or skipping around the
school track to promote the importance
of physical ﬁtness. Scott Keppel of Scott’s
Training Systems partnered with the PTO
to provide ﬁtness information for the
entire family. The event also served as a
fundraiser, with a goal of raising $25,000.
The monies will go directly to the PTO to
enhance technology with the purchase
of 15 iPads for teacher-led classroom
instruction, and to purchase a classroom
set of 32 iPads. It also beneﬁts PTOsponsored throughout the year. All the
students, many of whom live in Chandler,
received a free Running with Rosco T-shirt.
Submitted photos

Free college prep workshops,
tests in Chandler
SanTan Sun-area eighth- through
12th-grade students and their parents
can get a head start on the college
admissions process with “It’s Never
Too Early to Prepare Your Child for
College,” a free college application
workshop offered by the College
Application Preparation Program, a
Tutor House Tutoring Services partner,
from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March
1, in the Monsoon Room of Chandler
Sunset Library, 4930 W. Ray Rd.,
Chandler.
Participants will learn current
information on admissions trends and
how to become the applicants that
colleges are seeking.
For more information or to reserve
a seat, call (866) 713-5330 or email
BeAsuccess@myCollegeCAP.com.

Free ACT, SAT practice tests
offered
A free SAT or ACT practice test is
available for high school juniors and
seniors Saturday, March 15 at Tutor
House Tutoring Services, 100 W.
Boston St., Suite 4, Chandler.
Testing is from 9:15 a.m. to 1 p.m.,
with a welcome and registration from
9 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. Students should
bring a calculator to the session.
Participants will become familiar
with the test format, question types,
timing and content of these college

entrance exams. Test results and
analysis will be given at a separately
scheduled conference with parents,
where a program can be designed to
address the student’s individual needs.
The free practice test is offered
in addition to Tutor House’s regular
SAT and ACT prep programs. A wide
range of one-on-one and small-group
tutoring for students in kindergarten
through 12th grades is available,
including tutoring in reading, math,
writing, Spanish, study skills, algebra,
geometry, calculus, SAT/ACT prep and
more.
Sign up at www.TutorHouseAZ.
com to reserve a seat. For more
information, call (480) 857-1222 or
email Tutoring@TutorHouseAZ.com.

$500

www.SanTanSun.com

BASIS Chandler student wins top
honors at Arizona Brain Bee
Vijeeth Guggilla and Jaeyoung Kang
of BASIS Chandler were two of the
students who took top honors at the
annual Arizona Regional Brain Bee, an
educational competition similar to a
spelling bee that focuses on neuroscience.
The 2014 Arizona Regional Brain Bee
at Midwestern University was presented
in partnership with the BHHS Legacy
Foundation.
One hundred forty-eight students
from 15 Arizona high schools, some of
whom came to the Brain Bee from as
far away as Kingman, converged on the
university’s Glendale campus to test
their knowledge of the human brain,
how it governs human behavior and the
science that helps medical professionals
understand brain function. It was the
largest turnout for the Brain Bee since
Midwestern University began hosting it
in 1999.
Anisha Ariff of BASIS Peoria was

another top ﬁnisher. All participants
received certiﬁcates of participation as
well as Brain Bee pins.
For his performance in the Brain Bee,
Jaeyoung won a $2,000 scholarship
toward tuition in any Midwestern
University program at either the
university’s Glendale campus or the
campus in Downers Grove, Ill., as well
as travel expenses to help him as he
competes at the upcoming National Brain
Bee in Washington, D.C.
Midwestern University faculty and
students served as judges, question
readers, timers, and scorekeepers for
the Brain Bee, using the book Brain
Facts, published by the Society for
Neuroscience, as the source text.
Questions ran the gamut from identifying
physical features of the brain itself to
naming brain disorders and diseases
to surgical and medical practices that
modify neural behaviors.

YOUTH CHRONICLES
Marcus McSweeney of Chandler
is on the fall 2013 Dean’s List at
Wentworth Institute of Technology in
Boston, MA.
Celena De Los Santos of Chandler
is a 2013-14 member of the Student
Health and Advisory Committee

at Northern Arizona University in
Flagstaff. The Student Health and
Advisory Committee acts as a twoway liaison between university
administration and the students
regarding health care issues. Celena is
majoring in exercise science.

AZ
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BabyComfort is the fastest way
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Bilingual school hosts open house Chandler adds Chandler
new mobile
makes social
tool to receive connections
city news
SanTan Sun-area families are invited to
learn more about Casa del Nino Bilingual
Montessori School at an informational
open house from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Saturday, March 22.
A special presentation on how
bilingual education works will be given
at 10 a.m. Refreshments and activities for
children will be available.

Chandler schools represented at
science competition
Three of six student teams
advancing to the recent finals of the
15th annual Honeywell Fiesta Bowl
Aerospace Challenge are from Chandler
schools.
The “All Stars” from Bogle Junior
High, “Omega 5” from Tri-City Christian
Academy and “TerraeInProcellarum”
from Kyrene Aprende Middle School
were among the final six teams who
presented their projects in front of a
panel of engineers from Honeywell.
Astronaut Richard Linnehan from NASA
and retired astronaut Edward Gibson
presented information and answered
questions.
The final competition, presented
by US Airways and held at the Arizona
Science Center in downtown Phoenix,
was part of Arizona Science Center’s
Engineering Day sponsored by

Honeywell in conjunction with Phoenix
Engineers Week.
Nearly 900 fifth- through eighthgrade students competed in the
preliminary competition and were
required to work in teams to create an
international lunar base module that
could mine Helium 3, complete with
a physical scale model. Students used
critical thinking, communication, teambuilding and decision-making skills
while expanding their knowledge in
science, mathematics and other subject
areas.
The final competition was made
possible by Honeywell, US Airways,
Arizona Science Center, ASU
Polytechnic Campus, Culver’s, AZTV,
Challenger Space Center and Wells
Fargo. For more information, visit www.
fiestabowl.org.

The City of Chandler has added
a new mobile tool to make it even
easier for subscribers to receive
Chandler news. The new Text-to-Join
feature allows subscribers to sign up
right from their mobile phones.
Residents need simply text
COCNEWS to 22828 to sign up for
the Chandler E-News Update, a
subscription-based e-newsletter
powered by Constant Contact. Next
subscribers are asked to reply to the
message with their email address to
complete subscription.
The Chandler E-News Update is
distributed regularly and features
details about upcoming special
events, council meeting recaps and
more.
The city has more than 12
different e-newsletters for every
interest, including aquatics, water
conservation, recreation, council
agendas and road construction. To
sign up for a specialized newsletter,
visit: www.chandleraz.gov/listserv.
aspx. Standard data and messaging
rates may apply.

33

The City of Chandler is reaching
more than 10,000 followers on Twitter, a
major milestone in social media.
Chandler has been actively using
social networking as a communications
tool for more than ﬁve years. The ofﬁcial
Twitter account, @CityofChandler, has
become a popular source of local news
and information for Chandler-area
residents.
Chandler also uses other social
networking tools, such as Facebook,
Google+, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest,
Next Door and more. For a complete list
of City of Chandler accounts, visit www.
chandleraz.gov/socialmedia.

34

Youth

March 1 – 14, 2014

CHANDLER UNIFIED
SCHOOL DISTRICT
Calendar:
March 10-24: No School Spring
Intersession
March 25: School resumes

Carlson Champions
Looking ahead – Carlson’s PTO is
accepting nominations for next year’s
officers. Forms must be submitted
by Tuesday, March 25. Elections are
Thursday, March 27.
Spring carnival – Silent auction
donations are being sought for
the schoolwide event in April. All
parents are encouraged to secure
some. Donation-request letters can
be retrieved through the students’
Monday Morning Message or room
parent.
—Lora Robinson

CTA-Independence Hawks
Save the dates – State testing is
scheduled for April 9 and April 10,
second grade; April 9 through April
11, third grade; and April 8 through
April 11, fourth through sixth grades.
Families are asked not to schedule
appointments during testing dates.
Safety updates – Classroom “Go”
bags, filled with items to be used
in case of evacuation, have been
assembled and will be presented to
teachers soon; thanks to the PTO for
purchasing the bags and contents.

At the school’s request, 25 mph signs
have been installed along Lake Drive
in front of the school. Also, thanks
to Brayden’s Buddy for generously
donating an AED defibrillator to the
school; staff will be trained on its
use. Brayden’s Buddy is a nonprofit
organization created to help families
affected by heart conditions. For
more information or to make a
donation to Brayden’s Buddy, visit
www.braydensbuddy.com.
Calendar
March 7: Dollar Dress Down and
Spring Picture Day
—Wendi Olson

Haley Tigers
Stage craft – Haley Elementary’s
Drama Club will perform “Willy
Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,”
based on the classic children’s book
“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”
by Roald Dahl, at 1:30 p.m. Monday,
March 3, and Wednesday, March 5,
and at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, and
Thursday, March 6. Haley’s Drama
Club is a quarter-long performing arts
training club for students in fourth
through sixth grades and with special
needs. The students participate in
classes, workshops and finally, a fullscale production. The club is designed
to encourage teamwork, personal
integrity, self-esteem, social skills,
friendships and a lifelong appreciation
for live theater.
Class notes – Fifth-grade classes went

www.SanTanSun.com

to the Halle Heart Museum recently
as part of their Life Science body
system unit. The classes learned about
the circulatory system. Classrooms
recently kicked off Read Across
America with visits from authors Chris
Gall and James M. Deen, and the PTO’s
annual Books at Bedtime event at
Barnes and Noble.
—Stephanie Vatistas

include names and grades of students
pictured.
—Kristen Boyd

Jacobson Jets

Hull Heroes
Read-A-Thon – Hull PTO is excited
to sponsor its first Read-A-Thon,
“Reading Takes You Places,” promoting
reading as a fun activity while raising
money for the school. Families
can look for information to come
home Monday, March 3, Read Across
America Day.
Box Tops – All Box Tops are due
Thursday, March 6. This is the last
contest of the year. Students from
each grade level have the chance to
win prizes, and the class that brings in
the most Box Tops wins lunch.
Movie night – Join Hull PTO at 6 p.m.
Friday, March 7, to kick off the ReadA-Thon with a viewing of “The Lorax.”
Yearbooks – Pre-order yearbooks by
Saturday, March 8, to save money. The
full-color yearbook is just $19 with a
pre-order, or $23 on orders turned in
after March 8. Only a limited number
of books will be ordered, so late
orders may not be filled. Families can
submit their Hull student and event
photos to hullyearbook@yahoo.
com to be included in the yearbook;

READY SET GO: Jacobson Elementary
students enjoyed a day of running
during the recent APEX Fun Run. APEX
is a fundraiser supporting on-going
technology updates throughout the
school. Submitted photo
—Linda Monaghan

Tarwater Toros
Music notes – Congrats to the
following Tarwater sixth graders,
chosen to perform in the CUSD Sixth
Grade District Honor Band: Isabel
Aksamit, Luke Bass, Isabelle Bond,
Ben Chappell, Craig Grande, Ryan
Greer, Michael Halick, Casey Otolski,
Noelle Redding and Faye Rodgers. The
students will perform an Honor Band
concert at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 6, in
the Hamilton High School auditorium.

www.SanTanSun.com
New program - Tarwater will offer
a Kindergarten Mandarin Immersion
program for the 2014-2015 school year.
Contact Tarwater for more information at
(480) 883-4300 or visit the school website.
Sock drive – Toros collected more than
400 pairs of socks for donation to the
Clothes Cabin. Thanks for all contributions;
the donations were much appreciated.
Fieldtrip fun – Kindergarten classes
attended “The Cat in the Hat” at Tempe
Center for the Arts recently, thanks to tax
credit donations.
Aiming high – Fifth graders recently
studied Newton’s three laws of motion
to prepare for their soda bottle rocketry
event. Guest scientist John Pomeroy from
Orbital Sciences spent two days with each
classroom teaching how to build a rocket,
stabilize the vessel and ﬂy the rocket
in the intended direction, then helping
students build their rockets and launching
them. All six rockets built by students were
launched successfully from the school
playground.
—JoAnne Cawley

CTA-Goodman Gators
Class notes – Fourth graders recently
presented their Arizona Wax Museum
for family and friends. Each student
researched a famous Arizona ﬁgure, then
presented the information in character
dress. Students in kindergarten through
second grade enjoyed a visit from
Chandler High students in the “Bookends”
drama organization. The children loved all
the Dr. Seuss characters and stories that
Bookends presented. Special thanks to
CTA’s CHS buddies.
Calendar
March 3: Flag ceremony presented by
chorus, 8 a.m., Amphitheater
March 7: Yearbook presales end
March 7: Third quarter PTO Box Top/
Label Contest ends
March 7: Fifth Grade State Day, 8:30 a.m.10:30 a.m., Multipurpose Room
March 7: Good News Gators Assembly,
1:15 p.m., Multipurpose Room
—Kathie Butters

CTA-Freedom Falcons

Chandler High Wolves
Wolves Night Out – Chandler High
hosts its annual Wolves Night Out,
formerly Casino Night, starting at 7
p.m. Saturday, March 1, at the Chandler
Airpark. The event will be an evening
of food, fun and prizes; for ticket
information, contact Vicki at (480) 5400701.
—Denise Chisholm

First grade fun – When ﬁrst graders
return from spring break, they will be able
to greet live frogs in the aquariums and
tadpoles in the class Planet Frog tank.
The Chandler Education Foundation has
awarded the CTA-Freedom ﬁrst-grade
team a grant for the past four years for
Life Cycle, Characteristics of Organisms.
The children get to observe two tadpoles,
one froglet and a green tree frog.
Acts of kindness – CTA-Freedom Student

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March 1 – 14, 2014

Council will give back by volunteering
at Feed My Starving Children in Tempe.
The students and advisers are excited
to have the opportunity to help out
by packing bags of food for those less
fortunate.
Read Across America – CTA-Freedom
students and staff celebrated Read
Across America recently, dressing
as their favorite book characters,
welcoming guest readers to classrooms
and wrapping up the day with activities
in the library to celebrate Dr. Seuss’
birthday.
Tax credit donations – Arizona
taxpayers can donate to CTA-Freedom
and earn a 100 percent tax refund
on their Arizona state taxes. The
money goes toward ﬁeldtrips and
extracurricular activities. To learn more,
visit www.ctafreedom.com and click on
the Tax Credit link in Announcements.
—Erin Morgan-Canter

CTA-Liberty Eagles
High honors – CTA-Liberty has earned
the National Blue Ribbon Schools
Award for 2013, sponsored by the U.S.
Department of Education. A Blue Ribbon
celebration was held recently in honor
of the award, which was given to only
four Arizona schools.
—Barbara Aldecoa

Knox Knights
Book Fair – Families are encouraged
to come support Knox’s Spring Book

35

Fair Monday, March 3, through
Friday, March 7, in the Media Center.
Volunteers are welcome; for more
information, visit www.knoxpto.com.
Jump for fun – Visit Airworx
Trampoline Center between 10 a.m.
and 8 p.m. Thursday, March 13, and up
to 40 percent of entry sales will go
directly to Knox. Visit www.airworx.us
for more information, to prepurchase
fundraiser wristbands and sign parent
waivers. Airworx is at 4960 W. Ray Rd.,
Chandler.
Arts Night – Knox’s annual Arts Night
will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30
p.m. Friday, April 4. If interested in
volunteering, contact Karla Tandon at
knoxartmasterpiece@gmail.com.
Making a difference – Knox Student
Council recently raised nearly
$1,600 for “Make That Change!”—an
organization that benefits Arizona’s
Special Olympians. Students brought
in their spare change to support
Student Council and help the cause.
Science Night success – A huge
thanks to the coordinators, volunteers
and vendors who made this year’s
Celebration of Science and Engineering
such a success. Also thanks to the
families who participated and enjoyed
a variety of science and engineering
activities.
Calendar
March 3-7: Spring Book Fair
March 4: PTO meeting, 3:45 p.m.,
Library, free child care provided
—Jacqueline Bartrim

36

Youth

March 1 – 14, 2014

NEW ADDITION

OUTSIDE VOICES: SanTan Sun-area families are invited to view the new expanded
playground, explore the classrooms and pick up registration forms for the 2014-2015
school year at Exploring My World Learning Center’s Open House from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Sunday, March 9. The preschool’s playground was recently expanded by more than
1,000 square feet; a new climber was also added to the playground, which also includes
a large playground structure, sandbox and playhouse. Exploring My World Learning
Center is in Chandler Presbyterian Church, 1500 W. Germann Rd., Chandler. To learn
more, visit www.exploringmyworld.com. Submitted photo

Whitening •

www.SanTanSun.com

Ashley Sanford to compete in
NHRA Paciﬁc Division Points
Race at Wild Horse Pass
Barely out of her teens, she roars
down the drag strip in her Top Alcohol
Dragster at speeds topping 200 mph,
racing against men often more than
twice her age.
Coming to compete in the NHRA
Pacific Division Points Race at Wild
Horse Pass Motorsports Park in
Chandler from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday,
March 1, fan favorite Ashley Sanford
and her team will take on the field in
this Lucas Oil event.
“Even though this is just my second
season on the circuit, I know I learn
more each time I race and I’m ready to
win in Phoenix,” says the 20-year-old
southern California native. “My best
time is 5.42 seconds at 264 mph, and I
hope to top that here.”
Sanford comes from a family of
racers, both her father and grandfather
have been by her side since she started
racing in the Kids Quad Class, and
placed first in her very first race in
the division, and she has never looked
back. She earned her TAD license last
February in Las Vegas and will compete
in a total of 10 races this year.
Frederosa’s Team Extreme is a
family-owned A/Fuel Dragster team
competing in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag

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Youth

www.SanTanSun.com

March 1 – 14, 2014

37

Another season of ‘Storytelling and Song’ ending
National
Championship
qualiﬁer at ASU
Saturday, March 8, marks the Arizona
State Taekwondo Championship from 8
a.m. to 6 p.m. at Arizona State University’s
Sun Devil Fitness Center on Union Street
in Tempe.
USA Taekwondo certiﬁed referees,
six matted rings and electronic scoring,
Daedo TrueScore scoring for black
belts and forms, sparring, breaking and
weapons, will be included in the qualiﬁer
for the National Championship for USA
Taekwondo event.
Participants must be a member of USA
Taekwondo, although all ages and belts are
welcome to compete.
The events of USA Taekwondo
offer opportunities for athletes of all
taekwondo disciplines to compete
against the best competition, at the
regional, national and international levels.
The events serve athletes, coaches and
parents in the most time efﬁcient and cost
effective manner, while providing the best
experience possible for all involved.
USA Taekwondo events aim to exceed
the expectations of coaches, parents,
ofﬁcials, volunteers and the athletes
themselves at each and every event.
USA Taekwondo is an afﬁliate of the
National Governing Body for the United
States Olympic Committee.

The “Storytelling and Song” program
at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort
and Spa will soon come to a close
because spring is drawing near. The
eighth season will end from 6 p.m. to 7
p.m., Saturday, March 15, with a special
closing led by Community elder, Bobby
Stone.
The program must end by the first
day of spring due to cultural customs
because winter is the only season
storytelling is permitted among
the Pima and Maricopa people. The
program is designed to share the
ancient cultures of the Pima and
Maricopa people.
Enrolled members of the Gila River
Indian community are the featured
storyteller members. They share a

combination of ancient legends based
on desert wildlife and their experiences
growing up on the surrounding tribal
lands. Cultural Concierge Rosie Rivera
manages the resort’s program.
“This program has become a favorite
tradition for new and returning resort
and restaurant guests from around the
world,” she says. “Whether it is a family
from Phoenix in for dinner, or returning
business travelers, the intimate and
informative nature of the stories shared
around our fire pit foster a true sense
of place and impart an important and
lasting impression.”
The “Storytelling and Song” program
is open and complimentary to all resort
and restaurant guests and is appropriate
for all ages.

Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort and
Spa, located on the Gila River Indian
Community, 5594 W. Wild Horse Pass
Rd., Chandler, is a total destination
resort showcasing the heritage, culture,
art and legends of the Pima and
Maricopa tribes. The resort offerings
include 500 culturally themed rooms,
Forbes Five-Star/AAA Five-Diamond
Dining at Kai, the Forbes Four-Star
Native American Aji Spa, 36-holes of
Troon managed golf at Whirlwind Golf
Course, the 1,000-acre Koli Equestrian
Center and a boat cruise to nearby
attractions.
For more information, phone
(602) 225-0100 or visit www.
wildhorsepassresort.com.

Kids: Win $15 gift card from Changing Hands Bookstore
Students who either live in
Chandler, Gilbert, Queen Creek
or surrounding areas or who
attend area schools can win
$15 gift cards from Changing
Hands Bookstore, thanks to a
partnership between the bookseller and
the SanTan Sun News.
This ongoing, monthly promotion
awards a $15 Changing Hands gift card to
every youth whose article, story, poem,
essay, editorial, book review, photo or
illustration is chosen to be printed in the

SanTan Sun Kids Opportunity
section, while supplies last.
The Kids Opportunity section
is printed in the Youth Section
of the ﬁrst paper of the
month, each month. The best
news is that even though only one to
three submissions are printed per month,
all good submissions are held in a
ﬁle to be printed in future issues.
So if an entry doesn’t win this
month, it could win next month—
or even the month after that.

To enter, visit SanTanSun.com,
click on Youth and then on Student
Writer Permission Slip to download a
submission-permission slip. Complete
the form and have a parent sign it so
the paper has permission to print the
entry and the author or artist’s byline.
Then, email the submissionpermission slip and writing or
artwork to news@SanTanSun.
com as a Word ﬁle, if writing,
or JPEG, if art, or pasted into
the email.

WHERE KIDS
EAT FREE
The SanTan Sun News now
has a regular “Where kids eat
free” section.
Restaurant owners, please
email us details such as days
of the week kids can eat free
at your establishment, and
what conditions apply, such
as purchase of an adult meal,
certain hours, etc., Include
your restaurant name, address,
phone and website and a
contact name for veriﬁcation.
Readers, if you know of
a location that has a kidseat-free program, email us
with the restaurant name,
a phone and / or email for
conﬁrmation and details.
Email information to
KidsEatFree@santansun.com.